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speaker suggestion for 115 sealed cab

B

Bergerac

Jul 20, 2011
60
25
AUTRICHE, EU
#1
I broswed the threads but did not find an answer for my question:

Any recommendations for a speaker for a 1x15" cab which is going to be a sealed one ??
The guy who will probably build it for me suggested an Eminence Kappalite 3015LF. Plus he suggested making the cab rear-ported with the option to stuff (seal) this single round port as needed. Is the Kappalite 3015LF a good choice for this?
EBP=90, Qts=0,46, fs=44Hz, Vas=150.9 liters / 5.3 cu.ft.
http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Kappalite_3015LF

To understand my question thoroughly: my overall plan is the following stereo-rig:
have 2 of these 115 cabs (stacked) and 2 small extra cabs (left & right) each containing a 6", with 3 switchable crossover frequencies. (The stereo fx I use are mainly in the mid-highs, I leave the bottom bass untouched.)

The more detailed question is:
Is it a good idea to design a flexible ported/sealed cab or will I end up with neither meat nor fish? The sealed option is my preference and if someone can name an efficient 15" for this I would also be sure that this would always meet my sound- and volume-needs.

Most of the 15" speakers seem to be designed for ported cabs. Who makes speakers for sealed cabs that are not too inefficient?

The suggestion for the 6" was a Eminence ALPHA-6A. http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Alpha_6A
Other/better options for the mid-high application?


Thanks a lot for your recommendations!!!
 
#5
For the most part you're looking at the EPB [ fs/Qes ]to tell you: < 50 is usually good for sealed and > 50 suited to ported enclosures. Notice the EPB of the Eminence Kappalite 3015LF? It's 90 which means it kicks booty in a ported enclosure. Probably not so great in a sealed box.
 
#6
The 3015LF is a very good candidate for this application if the crossover is done properly. In particular, that 1.2 kHz peak is an especially nasty-sounding one that should be aggressively suppressed.

In sealed-box configuration the 3015LF can give you a -3 dB point in the upper 60's, which is quite good.

I use pluggable ports, but my woofer isn't as good in sealed-box mode as the 3015LF. Nearly all of my customers leave the plugs out.

You might also consider a rather low-tuned vented box, which can subjectively approximate a sealed box but with deeper extension.
 
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#7
BassmanPaul said:
If you are having these built, why not get him to build you a pair of fearfuls?? At least that way you know the results would be superior cabinets.
Click to expand...

the only 1x15 i saw on that site was a sub, and they are ported. i wouldent call them superior, the svt has stronger bracing inside. the kappalites are highly suggested on this forum, i would say its a good choice.
 
#8
Unfortunately I have to buy all the material up-front - no way to try things out (except the port). That's why it is so important to select a really adequate speaker and design the thing properly.


Rafael said:
Notice the EPB of the Eminence Kappalite 3015LF? It's 90 which means it kicks booty in a ported enclosure. Probably not so great in a sealed box.
Click to expand...

What does it mean "it kicks booty" ?? (I'm German)

I read somewhere that EBP's of 50 - 100 work either way, sealed or ported. Below 50 sealed, above 100 ported. Anyway 90 is fairly high.
What can I expect from the 3015LF in a sealed cab?
what would be a "good" sealed-cab volume for this speaker?
what would be a "good" ported-cab volume ?
 
#9
DukeLeJeune said:
In particular, that 1.2 kHz peak is an especially nasty-sounding one that should be aggressively suppressed.
Click to expand...

(not by EQ'ing I hope you meant)
can this be achieved by cab-design? If yes, how?


DukeLeJeune said:
You might also consider a rather low-tuned vented box, which can subjectively approximate a sealed box but with deeper extension.
Click to expand...

how low do you think can I go? approx. which tuning-freq?
 
#11
Bergerac said:
(not by EQ'ing I hope you meant)
can this be achieved by cab-design? If yes, how?
Click to expand...

The only practical ways I know of to suppresse that 1.2 kHz peak are by EQ'ing or by aggressive roll-off via a crossover. Cab design doesn't address that sort of issue, unless you design a bandpass bass enclosure... which I don't think would work well for this application.

Bergerac said:
how low do you think can I go? approx. which tuning-freq?
Click to expand...

Using the latest published data on the 3015LF (similar to what you posted, except for Fs = 43.65 Hz), assuming a 5 cubic foot internal volume:

With a sealed box, you'd have no upper bass bumpage and an F3 of about 67 Hz, along with the typical roughly 12 dB per octave rolloff below that (Qtc = .66 ballpark).

With "normal" tuning, say 45 Hz ballpark, you'd get a broad +1 dB plateau from 100 Hz down to 60 Hz, and a -3 dB point around 44 Hz.

With a "sealed-box simulation" low tuning of 34 Hz you'd have no upper bass bumpage, -3 dB at about 48 Hz, and a 12 dB per octave initial rolloff. So your response curve looks (and sounds) a lot like a sealed box, but you get almost 1/2 octave deeper extension than with the actual sealed box.

In many cases the low-tuned approach sacrifices too much excursion-limited power handling relative to "normal" tuning to be a viable alternative, but the 3015LF has such high x-max that in my opinion you can get away with it. The hard part may be shoe-horning long enough ports into the box.

I'm not specifically recommending 5 cubic feet nor any particular tuning frequency, just giving an example.
 
#13
I am bumping this old thread, because I was about to start a new thread with essentially the same question.

The trouble here is, that this thread kind of got derailed from seeking suggestions for 15" drivers in sealed cabs, to a discussion of whether the Eminence 3015LF could be used in such an application.

So, let me hear some other suggestions. I have a portless single 15 cab of approximately 1.8 cu ft, that I want to drive with a 200 watt tube head at 8 Ohms. There is no tweeter or mid (or space to fit one....or my will to fit one) in this cab, so I am looking for a full-range driver that will at least get me up to 3 KHz. I have been looking only at the Eminence line, because their data sheets allow for comparison. Other manufacturers do not seem to offer spec sheets with as much information and detail, so I feel like I have an apples/oranges quandry when trying to compare offerings from Celestion and Faital to those of Eminence. I am planning to use this cab for mid-volume practice, rehearsals, and small indoor gigs/jams. I have bigger, heavier, tweetered, ported cabs when needed, already.

The more I read about Thiele and Small parameters, the more questions arise. It is hard to know how to weigh a specific driver's attributes against the competitors, and there seems to be less info 'out there' on how to relate T & S parameters to sealed cabs, than to ported cabs. For sealed cabs, is the EPB (supposed to be < 90 and ideally < 50) more important than the resonant frequency of the driver, than the Xmax, than the frequency extension, than the etc., etc., etc.?

Also confusing are the response curves that are shown. Some drivers that are indicated to have a useable frequency response only down to around 54 Hz seem to have lower extension of their curve than other drivers that are indicated to have a useable frequency down to the low 40s Hz. This makes no sense to me.....what are these curves showing if not the frequency extension? The descriptions for what applications each different driver is recommended for, also confuse me. Some are indicated for use in bass instrument cabs but their specs do not appear to be as suitable for bass as other drivers that do not show a recommended use in bass instrument cabs (see: Basslite C2515 vs Deltalite-II 2515 vs Beta-15A, as an example).

So, give me your recommendations, be they Eminence drivers or those by another manufacturer, and tell me what factor(s) drove you to said choice.

These are the Eminence drivers I am considering:

Beta-15A https://tinyurl.com/oy2wmud
Legend CB15 https://tinyurl.com/ovsudn7
Basslite C2515 https://tinyurl.com/pc6yxrl
Deltalite-II 2515 https://tinyurl.com/o6ckclt
Delta-15A https://tinyurl.com/kzhsnf3
Delta Pro-15A https://tinyurl.com/kcb5vqj
Delta-15LFA Invalid Link Removed (I have read that this is the driver in the Bergantino NVs ... ?)


As it stands now, I am leaning toward trying the Beta-15A (which has the added benefit of being fairly inexpensive). Thanks to any/all in advance for your opinions!
 
#17
Boot Soul, They show the Delta Lite II 2515 to have a lower volume limit of 1.8 cuft on sealed box designs (recommended). Did you see the PDF file ? It has graphs for different cabs and scroll way down there is a chart for a 1.4cuft sealed cab example.

Another thing to consider is downloading the free WinISP software. It is addicting to mock up all sorts of different design ideas. Drop down menus of different brand drivers to try. And you can design any size,type box you want and it shows graphs for all types of response and performance data as you make changes.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#18
thanks for that chiplexic....I looked over my options and actually may add a couple of 3' dia port tubes and use it as a typical reflex cab. The Delta Lite II 2515 was not really suitable as in the 1.4 cu ft example you suggested, the specs indicate that it needs a high pass filter at 100 Hz. The Basslite neo did have plans for use in a small sealed box about the size I am working with that looked pretty good, other than only extending to 2.5 KHz (and with a peak at about 1.5 KHz), but it is a 4 Ohm driver, and I need this cab to be 8 Ohms. If that driver was available as an 8 Ohm, I think I would have tried it. But I have a Kappalite 3015 I can use now.

Using the 3015 (which has an Fs=45 Hz) in a (approx) 1.8 cu ft cab, tuned to approx 55 Hz, with two 3" dia, 4.5" long ports. I hope that will work allright. This is what, in WinISD, seemed to give the best bass and lowest F3 (which is only about 70 Hz, unfortunately). This cab should probably be high pass filtered at 50 Hz, as recommended in the Eminence plans/specs for a similar small cab using the 3015 driver.
 
#19
Now i will throw out the eminence neo 15" I have put into the portaflex (sealed) cab about 10 years ago. (Inever liked it very much and the weight difference is neglectable.....)

Which of the delta models would you recommend more? The Delta 15A or the Delta 15 LFA? Spec'wise they seem quite similar, one lower, one a bit higher, more/less sensitivity... Specs are one thing. Which of the 2 is better for a sealed bassguitar cab like the portaflex??

And I have another really big sealed cab with one 15" hole right now. I want to put 2 15" in there. How does the bigger cab volume influence the choice of speaker, 15 A or 15 LFA?
Thanks!
 

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